Longer Roads
by tvfangirl
Summary: The team tries to catch a serial killer who will go at great lengths to evade custody and keep killing; that is until something happens to make him devolve...


**Disclaimer:**** I don't own anything, please don't sue me. The wonder that is Criminal Minds belongs to CBS and its creators.**

**Summary:**** The team is called out to Illinois to investigate recent and escalating crimes of a man who has tried to stay hidden for a very long time. Basically it's a teamcentric fic but I can add in relationships if that's what you guys want to see :) Reviews are appreciated! And this is my first CM fanfic! This is obviously AU since I'm kind of ahead on my timeline according to the show.**

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December 18th, 2010

Aurora, Illinois

Law enforcement agents swarmed the warehouse with efficient purpose. Flashlights led the way through the din of the area with a blaring hunger. Agents Hotchner, Morgan, Rossi, and Prentiss fanned out in separate directions followed by a unit of SWAT as they searched for a single room leading to what they believed to be the unsub and his current victim. Rossi, followed by Prentiss, went left after seeing Morgan and Hotch go right. Soon, they were alone in the corridors, only the faint crackle of the 'clears!' in their com-units was heard as the team meticulously cleared every room in the building. Rossi muttered a curse under his breath before he called in one of the final all clears. His dark eyes found a disappointed and frustrated Emily Prentiss as she let her hands fall to her sides in defeat.

"We've got nothing Hotch, he isn't here." Prentiss spoke into the com on her sleeve as she watched Rossi put his gun in its holster at his hip and begin looking around. She turned away as Hotch replied; the response was full of static until she moved a few feet to her right. The room they were in was a dead end, the last in the hall, and completely empty. Rossi studied the windowless space, the worn and weathered off-white walls. From the minimal light in the hallway, it was hard to make out anything let alone any discernable alterations in the structure. Like the past spaces, the Unsub had chosen a rundown warehouse or office building, and after months of quiet construction he'd been able to build walls in rooms that hid the actual hiding places of the victims. His hand brushed lightly over the wall, the other holding up a flashlight to inspect the surface. It was completely smooth, cool to the touch, and didn't seem to have any imperfections except a hold or two the size of a pea. _It looks like a wall_, he thought bemusedly.

"What I don't get is why we listened to an anonymous tip about some suspicious activity in this dump." Rossi's trademark skepticism caught Prentiss in mid reply, her shoulders shrugging as she finished.

"Well it does fit the profile." She offered, her face still saying she didn't know why the hell they were there. _This place creeps me out_, she shivered at the thought of the shadows; some how never getting over her fear of the dark. Her hands were on her hips as she let her eyes roam the dimly lit room, but her attention was stolen as Rossi tapped the wall in front of him. The hollow sound was almost instant; dull and ominous. Prentiss went to take a step closer as Dave's flashlight swept the surface again, illuminating the small holes in the wall for her to see, but was stopped suddenly by the harsh report of gunfire. She jumped back as three new holes presented themselves forcefully from the wall in front of David, her hand instantly whipping out her gun as she watched Rossi jerk back; immediately aware of him falling to the floor in front of her. Prentiss fired at the wall in response, the rest of the team's reactions wailing through the unit in her ear. Three shots from the perp, two from her, and then…_nothing._

"Rossi!" She yelled at the prone figure on the floor, her gun trained on the wall while her eyes searched him for any signs of blood. "David!" That made the man startle, his head lifting slightly before it fell back against the floor weakly. Prentiss breathed a sigh of relief, one she hadn't realized she'd been holding, when he muttered something about 'thanking God for Kevlar'. "Rossi's hit Hotch, east corridor off the main entrance, all the way at the end."

"We're already on our way." The tight response told her that Aaron was likely running with the whole of the SWAT team on his and Morgan's heels.

"Dave, don't move." She said firmly, her eyes betraying the commanding voice she'd issued. All she got was a grunt in return. As they waited, she concentrated on the rising and falling of Rossi's chest as he lay there. The maddening silence only ensued until the reassuring sounds of footsteps and Morgan's voice calling out through the dark to her and her downed partner. "Morgan! Hotch! In here!" She moved then, got up to let the light of her flashlight shine down the hallway, letting them know which room directly before she returned to the same position she'd kept guard in. Rossi, she noted worriedly, hadn't moved since he'd last given her that soft sound in reply to her order. _He's probably just listening…for once in his damn life._ She knew how absurd that was, to think he never listened, but Rossi did what he wanted to do and no one would tell him otherwise. (Unless, of course, your name was Aaron Hotchner, Jennifer Jureau, Spencer Reid, Derek Morgan, Penelope Garcia, or Emily Prentiss) He always seemed to have a moment or two when things were tense to listen to his team members; which only furthered Emily's growing relief as she felt Morgan's hand on her shoulder, gently guiding her back and away from the wall's vicinity. She would have rejected his need to protect her if she hadn't been daydreaming about the ways of their oldest and most experienced team member, because before she could do anything, members of the SWAT team, riot shields in hand, swept into the room and moved towards the downed agent with skilled ease; placing their shields around him before they grabbed Rossi under each arm and dragged him out of the room to safety. The team was quick to follow as Rossi was situated out in the hallway. Emily was first to reach him, inspecting the man adeptly for any life threatening injuries. The only things she'd found were three stopped bullets in the vest he wore.

A groan issued from David Rossi's mouth as he attempted to bat Emily's hands away from his vest, simultaneously trying to sit up until he found that it was much more comfortable laying flat on the ground. His chest felt like it was on fire; a crawling pain that stole his breath. Jesus he was glad for modern technology. His breathing hitched as he tried to breathe deeper than shallow pants. Suddenly, his face pinched in pain.

"Dave, paramedics are on their way. Just-" Hotch had knelt down beside Prentiss when Rossi had begun to wake up. It was rare, Emily thought, to see their unit chief plainly show his worry about a situation. But he was interrupted by Rossi, who waved him off, bidding him to shut up and that he was absolutely fine.

"No paramedics." Dave's terse reply was made completely evident when he rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow, finally able to push himself up and into a sitting position.

"Dave," Aaron's stern voice made the younger team members glance between the two alpha males to see how this was going to turn out, but Hotch never got the chance to finish his sentence because the SWAT team captain was calling for him. "This discussion isn't over." Rossi glared tiredly after the Unit Chief before forcing a smirk at Morgan and Prentiss.

"Help me up will you?" It was more of a command than a question as he offered his arms at the two. Morgan and Prentiss seemed to jump out of their separate reveries to help him get to his feet. He swayed for a moment, bent over with Prentiss's hand on his shoulder to keep him steady, while Morgan looked like a man ready to attack anything remotely threatening within their area.

"Rossi, are you _sure_ you're alright?" Emily's tone let him know she was obviously doubtful of his earlier proclamation of being 'fine'. No one was ever 'fine' when they said they were. He gave her a slow nod as he tried to catch his breath, of which she replied to with a scoff. Morgan, on the other hand was reaching to pull the Velcro from the side of Rossi's vest, knowing from experience that it lessened the pressure if you took the thing off after getting shot. Rossi didn't even protest; much less seem to notice that Derek was pulling it off until he was told to lift his arms. The sharp gasp and the wince that followed the motion did not go unnoticed by the other three team members. Emily looked worriedly at Hotch who glanced at Dave as he spoke to the SWAT captain, while Morgan muttered something about fine-my-ass.

David was blissfully rescued from further inquiry as yells from the room snatched everyone's attention. They looked up in time to see a few of the officers reeling away from the wall they had begun to cut into. Moments later the unmistakable smell of a decomposing body filled the hallway. The present BAU members' jaws all clenched as the odor reached them; their faces stoic despite the small ripple of disappointment threading through their demeanors.

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"Looks like it wasn't a complete waste of time, after all." Emily was the first to break the silence among the group, glancing at Rossi, feeling the irony of it all.

"It looks like some sort of automated weapon, complete with camera and everything. I sent Garcia the info and she said she'd have something for us as soon as she can." It was Morgan's whose voice penetrated the tension near the rear of the ambulance. Hotch, his arms folded across his chest against the cold, nodded perceptively before returning his attention to the EMT currently dealing with a less than cooperative David Rossi.

"Dave, let the woman do her job." Aaron's level voice stilled his agent for a moment long enough for the Paramedic to successfully complete her wrappings around his chest, which she did with a rather enthusiastic tug. At Rossi's momentarily shocked face, the others smirked; what was a ten minute job had taken twenty because the man's persistent squirming and complaints. To tell the truth, David Rossi was not a man comfortable with being so vulnerable in the eyes of others. Though used to his teammates' intuition and 'family orientation', Dave was still that secretive guy despite the little mysteries they had discovered about him. And now, with them all watching his every move, he felt more than a little exposed.

"Finally." He sighed exasperatedly as he started to ease himself off the back of the ambulance.

"Hold on there Agent Rossi, I'd like to take you in for some X-Rays." She faltered at the man's death glare, looking to Hotchner for back up. "It's precautionary, just to make sure he doesn't have any broken ribs, or a fracture-" She was cut off as Rossi started to walk stiffly from their presence. All he wanted to do was get far and away from this place and back to his hotel room or at least the station. He needed to gather his bearings; something he preferred to do _alone_ if he could manage it. The others watched him walk away in mutual silence until Hotch sighed and gave an apologetic smile to the EMT. "As long as he doesn't do anything extraneous, I guess he should be fine. Obviously, if he starts becoming winded, dizzy, experiences black outs, or coughs up blood, then there's no real reason for me to keep him. Like I said, it was just a precaution." Something in her voice told Emily that she wasn't too thrilled about having the Agent walk off on her like she didn't matter. A few seconds later, Aaron thanked her and apologized for his colleague's attitude. After a few minutes of discussing strategy and the new victim, Hotch decided to call Reid and let him know about the body and evidence coming in for examination.

It wasn't long before Prentiss was left alone when Morgan received a call from Garcia. Rather than stand and wait for the boys to get off their phones, Emily stalked off in the direction Dave had gone, following his footsteps through the snow to one of their SUVs. He was half sitting against the passenger-side seat, his hands working at the buttons on the front of his shirt.

"I'm fine Prentiss." He muttered without looking up, his fingers finally pushing that last button through before he went to turn and grab at his jacket; which he discovered was a bad idea when his body gave a less than welcoming reaction to twisting his torso. Emily moved closer, acutely aware of the tension radiating off Rossi as she did so. Snatching up his jacket she leaned easily passed him and held out the piece of clothing with a tentative smile.

"Yep, that's what you keep telling us." She commented as she handed over his jacket and proceeded to stuff her hands in her pockets as a flurry of snow whipped by them. As he struggled to get his coat on, Emily took the moment to study him as he moved; watching every little detail and psycho-analyzing the hell out of every one them. He was pale, the corners of his eyes pinched together in obvious discomfort, and his entire body screamed of exhaustion. _I'd hate to think about what I look like_, she thought sullenly. They were all pretty worn, and Emily had to give the man props for not passing out other than the initial black-out. If it had been her, she probably would have welcomed the rest. When he was done, a large sigh puffed into the frigid air, his eyes closed, fighting what looked like a wave of dizziness from the way he slouched. "Rossi," She started, moving to lean up against the open door, partly out of wanting to ensure privacy and the other part seeking shelter from the winter wind. "You know you can talk to me right?" She tilted her head to the side, watching as Dave's eyes opened slowly in order to peer at her tiredly. He nodded, offering her his sideways smile before lurching off the side of the vehicle in order to stand up.

Dave found himself squinting, his ribs protesting the sudden shift in movement before he righted himself and began walking back towards Hotch and Morgan who were now huddled over one of their cell phones. Emily followed closely behind Rossi, watching him for any signs that indicated he might fall. Hotch glanced their way for a brief moment before he responded to Garcia.

"Alright, keep us posted. Call us as soon as you find anything else." Rossi and Prentiss arrived at the tail-end of the conversation, which Morgan quickly brought them up to speed on.

"The victim's name is Natalie Coulter, age 24. She's a resident nursing assistant at the Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora and was last seen, until now, on December 15th, three days ago. We won't know anything else until the ME takes a look, but I'm betting this is our guy." Morgan looked to Hotch after eyeing Rossi, whose hands were stuffed into his pockets in a similar manner to Prentiss.

"But his MO has changed. He went from, hiding them in walls so no one could find them, to ambushing the authorities." Rossi looked at each of them as he spoke of the one change he had personally experienced.

"Maybe he's upping the game." Morgan supplied with a reasonable tone as he brought the theory to life. "After all that's happened, after getting our attention, there was bound to be some kind of relapse between his original operandi and what he's now escalated to."

"We have to look closer at our evidence. It has to be something we found that has made him alter his dump sites. " Emily was next to offer up a suggestion and between Morgan's and Prentiss's ideas, Hotch found himself nodding in agreement. He wanted to catch this guy now more than ever, but it looked like an entirely new ball game had just started; one that put him and his team in more danger.

"Morgan, call Reid and tell him to have the case files ready to go over again and to have the new geographical point added into the profile by the time we get there." Hotch had already told the boy genius to figure the new location in, and Reid had seemed animated after a moment of silence on the phone earlier. "Prentiss take Rossi back to the station and help Reid get ready for us. Morgan and I'll meet up with you within the hour."

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"You should call JJ." The sudden suggestion tugged a bleary-eyed David Rossi out of his daze in the passenger seat of the government-issue SUV. Casting a critical look Emily's way, he only got a _don't-go-there-with-me_ frown in response as she steered the Tahoe onto I-88 towards Naperville. He'd been staring out the window watching the snow race by them with no real train of thought; their car ride had been relatively quiet until then.

"Ya," He sighed and brought his right hand up to rub the exhaustion from his face. "I'll text her when we get to the station."

"Rossi," Emily started to say as she glanced in the mirrors in order to change lanes, her tone of voice giving Dave the impression he wasn't going to get away with just 'texting' her. "You can expect that Garcia has already informed her about it. And just because she was taken from us, doesn't mean she doesn't deserve to be filled in." When that didn't get response out of him, Prentiss sighed. "Plus, if she got hurt, _everyone_ would be pissed if she didn't tell us."

"What do you want me to do, Emily? Call her right now? We're neck deep in a case that just got a helluva lot worse." Truth be told, Dave didn't want anyone asking or prying into how he was feeling. Hotch and the EMT had done enough of that in the short time they'd gotten him from the warehouse to the back of the ambulance. Morgan had done so with some smartass comments, and Prentiss had been his shadow ever since that automated firing system had gone off in that small room. _We should have identified the holes as something else._ There hadn't been holes at the other crime scenes, and it should have alerted him of the change in scenery. But a voice inside his head told him they had thought the lead was a dead end. It wasn't just a coincidence that the anonymous tip had come in at nearly twelve in the morning. The glaring clock in the dash now showed a stubborn 1:15 a.m.

"_David._"

"Don't _David_ me, Prentiss." He mumbled. He was about to say something else entirely to change the subject when his phone started ringing. The name, 'Garcia' flashed on the screen twice before he opened it. "Rossi." He answered crisply and was greeted with a flurry of gasps and relieved sighs on the other end as their technical analyst-slash half-liaison reprimanded him in good humor.

"David Rossi, a super agent does NOT get shot while inspecting a wall. Do not ever do that again." Her voice was stern, but Rossi could tell she was smiling somewhere on the other end of the line.

"I promise I won't, Kitten. And I'm sorry I scared you. What can I do for ya?" Changing the subject came naturally as he waited; letting a smile creep onto his face in the din of the vehicle.

"I have JJ on the line for you, sir." Her timid, yet all-smiles voice, force-fed Rossi the irony of his previous conversation with Emily just a minute ago.

"Thanks Garcia, put her on." After a quick ok, JJ's voice came on the line.

"How's Garcia's super agent?" There was a smirk in her tone, like she wanted to be angry, worried, and happy at the same time so she settled for the edge of sarcastic and the beginnings of a motherly voice.

"Holding up. The vest took all three." He assured her easily, knowing that JJ was a straightforward kind of woman who probably wouldn't appreciate him dancing around the details.

"Thank God for Kevlar." She sighed, and Dave smiled whilst Emily smirked, apparently she could hear the conversation in the quiet SUV. "But how are _you?_"

"Tired." He stated without hesitation, a sigh quietly following his proclamation.

"You going back to the station in Naperville?" Figures that Garcia would have brought her up to speed despite protocol.

"Yep, we just pulled off I-88." He confirmed.

"Good, well I have the weekend free and got permission to fly out from my superiors. I'll be there in the morning to 'visit' ol' Naperville, Illinois." JJ's easy humor made David just that much more appreciative of the group of people he had covering his back. They were the kind of souls you could fall on in hard times, and it seemed everyone understood each others needs…or at least directed one another in advice and circumstance.

"That's great JJ, everyone will be ecstatic!" He tried to put some life in his voice, but it turned out to be a strained elation as the SUV rolled clumsily over a pot hole. Emily muttered an apology to Rossi who physically flinched at the sudden movement; causing his ribs to jostle painfully underneath the EMT's wrappings.

"Everything alright?" She had gone from happy to serious in about less than a second.

"Everything's fine. We'll see you in the morning. Have a safe flight, Jayje." And with a mumbled good-bye he hung up; his hand coming to massage his forehead as the ache in his chest slowly subsided to just a dull resonance every now and then. By the time they had reached the precinct, Rossi's head was bobbing as he drifted in and out of sleep. Emily couldn't help but notice the sweat on his brow and the way his labored breathing seemed to get shallower by the second.

"Dave, we're here." She reached out to gently shake his shoulder and he woke slowly, blinking his eyes a few times while he cleared the cobwebs from his mind.

"Thanks." He muttered before reaching down gingerly with his left hand to unbuckle himself. One hurdle at a time and soon he was easing out the passenger-side door; Prentiss already at his side, but offering only a little assistance. She knew him, and he knew her. They had a similar mind-set when it came to being helped; they approached others, not the other way around, though they could settle for being forcibly brought to light every now and then. They slowly made their way into the station, Emily righting Rossi with gentle indications of his swaying as he walked towards the back room they had set up as their current bullpen. Reid gave the pale Rossi and the worried Prentiss a quizzical look before Emily just shook her head in dismissal; he knew she'd tell her later. Prentiss maneuvered Rossi into one of the offices they were using, one with a couch that she barely had to argue with him to lay down on.

"It's either this or you passing out and going to the hospital." She told him matter-of-factly as he lowered himself onto the not so comfortable couch. A huge sigh emanated from her partner as he relaxed, his face pinched in pain as he struggled to regain his breath as each muscle uncoiled itself. _I hate this case,_ she thought bitterly as David's breathing seemed to become more regular. Unused to feeling this frustrated and helpless, she could do nothing but let it fuel her to stay awake and present in these next few hours before Hotch was sure to send them to their hotel rooms. Prentiss, overcome with worry as she watched him fall into a fitful sleep, righted herself; trying to mask the weariness in her eyes before heading out into the bullpen to see a brooding Spencer Reid in front of the geographical board. He frowned and made three swift motions with his marker before Emily could even ask him what he was doing. The five bodies they had found were each touched by some line on the board and what she saw there made the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up….

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**Next chapter will start off with Reid! Yay! Considering he didn't make much of an appearance in this one, I thought it only fair. I'm not sure if this is going have any couplings in it. It can if you want but you'll have to suggest them, since I can't make up my mind on which ones to have. SO GO REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT COUPLING/IF ANY you'd like to see in this story. JJ, unfortunately has left the team in this fic, but never fear! She'll be a part of the story as you can see! Annnnnddd I don't do slash. I just can't write it according to these characters. But other than that, suggest away!**


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